Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

SEC REPORT: Analysts rank Tide, Hogs high.

- By Tom Murphy

FAYETTEVIL­LE — SEC champion Alabama and second-place Arkansas would receive top 4 seeds for the NCAA Tournament if it were to start today, according to most bracket projection­s.

The Crimson Tide, who open SEC Tournament play on Friday against the winner of the Kentucky vs. Mississipp­i State game, have made a continual rise up the projection­s while going 16-2 in SEC play after a 5-4 nonconfere­nce run.

Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com has Alabama as a 2 seed with a first-round NCAA matchup against Bryant. ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi listed the Crimson Tide as his top 2 seed on Sunday, ahead of Iowa, Ohio State and Houston on the same line.

The Razorbacks were an NCAA Tournament bubble team by most projection­s in early January after back-to-bout routs at LSU and Alabama. However, the Hogs have not lost in league play since that 90-59 setback in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and enter the conference tourney riding an 11-game SEC winning streak.

Arkansas will open the SEC tournament against the winner of the 7 seed-10 seed game between Missouri and Georgia.

Palm’s current projection for Arkansas is a No. 3 seed with a matchup against Southern Utah. Lunardi had the Razorbacks as his top 3 seed on Sunday, with West Virginia, Villanova and Texas trailing the Hogs on the 3 line. He has Arkansas paired against Morehead State in a first-round NCAA game.

If the analysts are to be believed, six SEC teams — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Missouri and Tennessee — are cinches to make the NCAA Tournament.

Palm’s other SEC teams in the NCAA field are 5 seed Tennessee, 6 seed Missouri, and 7 seeds Florida and LSU. He also has Ole Miss back up to “first four out” status with the Rebels winning three of their last four games. Palm’s calculatio­ns reflect a stronger position for SEC teams than Lunardi’s numbers.

Lunardi’s other SEC projection­s are 6 seed Tennessee, 8 seed LSU and 9 seeds Florida and Missouri. He has Ole Miss listed among his “next four out.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States